


A good night's rest

by TheatricArcana



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Esseks love language is acts of service, Fluff without Plot, M/M, What's more tender than wizards? Nothing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:08:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27072481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheatricArcana/pseuds/TheatricArcana
Summary: Caleb entered their shared study in the late hours of the evening, itching to get just a little research done before going to bed for the night. Essek had protested at the time, but Caleb insisted that he wouldn't be long.Caleb never came to bed.Essek already knew why.Essek crept ever so carefully into the quiet study. In the stillness of the late hour, he could just barely hear the soft sounds of Caleb's steady breathing from somewhere within the room. Armed with a pillow and blanket, Essek made his way towards the center of the study to find wherever his dear lover had fallen asleep.(Caleb falls asleep while reading in the study and Essek takes care of him, resulting in Soft Wizard Cuddles. Very fluffy and tender content contained ahead. You have been warned.)
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 9
Kudos: 209





	A good night's rest

Caleb entered their shared study in the late hours of the evening, itching to get just a little research done before going to bed for the night. Essek had protested at the time, but Caleb insisted that he wouldn't be long.

Caleb never came to bed.

Essek already knew why.

Essek crept ever so carefully into the quiet study. In the stillness of the late hour, he could just barely hear the soft sounds of Caleb's steady breathing from somewhere within the room. Armed with a pillow and blanket, Essek made his way towards the center of the study to find wherever his dear lover had fallen asleep. This was not an unfamiliar occurrence. Essek had walked into the study hoping to locate Caleb, only to discover him passed out cold many times in the past. The positions Caleb fell asleep in usually resulted in awful kinks in his neck when he awoke. Essek didn't like seeing Caleb hurting, so he quickly sought out ways to solve the problem, which was luckily relatively simple usually.

Essek sighed softly, his heart clenching in a familiar fondness as he caught sight of Caleb on one of the couches, sitting upright, but very much asleep. There was a book still open in his lap, but Caleb's eyes were closed and his head dipped towards his chest at an awkward angle. Unlike when Caleb fell asleep on purpose, his red hair was still pulled into a loose tie at the back of his neck, and he still had a sweater and undershirt on. Under the layers of clothing, Essek could see the gentle rise and fall of Caleb's chest, indicating that he had not yet been disturbed by Essek's presence.

Essek worked without disturbing Caleb for as long as he could, clearing sheets of parchment and books from the cushions beside Caleb. He carefully pulled the book from Caleb's lap and put a bookmark in it for Caleb to return to later. When he was done, he knelt in front of Caleb, allowing himself an indulgent look at Caleb's resting face.

Caleb was handsome in his own unique way, with harder features than many of the other scholars Essek knew. The overgrown stubble was probably one of Essek's favorite parts about Caleb's appearance, though. Drow didn't generally grow much facial hair, so it was a novelty to Essek, and he found it endlessly fascinating to simply caress Caleb's jaw and feel the stubble rub against his fingertips. He debated doing it now, but he didn't want to disturb Caleb any sooner than he absolutely had to.

Essek unlaced Caleb's shoes as silently and gently as he possibly could, and Caleb, luckily, did not wake. Essek even managed to get the first boot off of Caleb without him waking, Caleb only beginning to stir when Essek was in the process of pulling off his other boot.

Upon realizing that he had woken Caleb, Essek looked up, only to meet eyes with the man sitting above him. They both smiled softly at the other.

" _ Hallo. _ " Caleb whispered, accent thick and voice rough from sleep.

Essek let out a small huff of laughter. "I didn't mean to wake you." Essek placed the pillow he had brought at the end of the couch. "I don't suppose you're interested in walking to the bedroom?"

Caleb frowned in his sleepy haze, and Essek knew he was thinking about the numerous flights of stairs that led up to their bedroom. Essek also knew that Caleb had no desire to climb all those steps in such a sleepy state, especially when the couch was perfectly comfortable with the simple additions Essek had brought. Essek didn't make Caleb respond, quickly picking up on Caleb's dislike of the idea and rising up to press a kiss to Caleb's forehead. "It's okay, you don't have to. I brought you a blanket." Essek told him, despite already mourning the presence of Caleb in bed next to him. It wasn't as easy to slip into trance without Caleb's arms around him, helping him relax.

Caleb groaned sleepily and flopped onto his side, head landing on the pillow. "You're too good to me,  _ mein schatz. _ "

Essek chuckled as he began to untie Caleb's hair for him, the angle making it a bit awkward, but it was still easy enough. Essek took an indulgent moment to run his hands through Caleb's long hair afterwards, and Caleb leaned into the feeling.

Before Essek could withdraw his hands, Caleb caught one of Essek's wrists and pressed a gentle kiss to his knuckles. Essek smiled when he felt Caleb's stubble rub against his skin. Even after all of his years with Caleb, Essek's heart still fluttered at the simple gesture. Caleb was incredibly charming in his own way. It was something Essek hadn't been expecting when he first met Caleb, but he loved it now that they were together.

"Are you going to stay?" Caleb murmured against Essek's knuckles, breath tickling between Essek's fingers.

A huff of laughter left Essek. "There's hardly any room for me here, my love."

Caleb made a face that Essek recognized. It was the one Caleb made when he was trying to figure out how to solve a particularly complex magic equation, except the look in his eyes was hazier with the sleep that still addled Caleb's brain.

Without warning, Caleb tugged hard on Essek's wrist.

Essek was tilted off his center of balance embarrassingly easily with how off-guard he tended to be around Caleb, and he practically collapsed on top of where Caleb was lying on the couch. Before he could ask any questions or protest, Caleb was quickly rearranging the two of them so that Essek was lying on the couch beside him despite the fact that it was really only big enough for one of them. Caleb managed to pin Essek against the backrest, successfully wedging Essek between the couch and himself. Much to Essek's surprise, it wasn't uncomfortable. Caleb's torso was pressed firmly up against his, and he had his arms wrapped around Essek, holding him tight.

One of Caleb's hands came to rest on Essek's jaw, and he slid his lips against Essek's. Caleb's kisses were sleepy and slow, but Essek loved it anyway, and he found himself easily and thoroughly distracted from the predicament Caleb had just dragged him into. Caleb pulled away after a few seconds though, leaving Essek feeling a little disoriented and dizzy after being so suddenly moved into his current position and then kissed so tenderly.

"Think you can trance like this?" Caleb asked, adding another soft, quick peck to Essek's lips.

Essek hummed. The position really was impractical, but it was also a perfect excuse to cuddle. Essek truly loved being held so close to Caleb, and he found his resolve quickly melting, easily seduced into cooperating with Caleb's terrible idea thanks to Caleb's unique charm. The idea of returning to an empty bed where Caleb wouldn't be close to him like this was agonizing, especially now that he knew what he would be missing out on if he left. "This is perfect."

" _ Gut _ ." Caleb said, another peck to Essek's lips, before a softer " _ Ich liebe dich _ ."

Essek's heart swelled in his chest. "I love you, too."

Caleb was already asleep again. 

* * *

Essek awoke in the morning to a loud thump, and then Caleb groaning from the floor.

"Never let me sleep on the couch again."


End file.
